Wheel construction for automobiles.



0. ZACHOW. WHEEL GONSTRUCTIUN FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. e, 1909.

1,028,082. Patented May 28, 1912.

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UNITED sm'rss mr N oTTo zacnow, or ctIN'roNv'ILLE, WISCONSIN, AssIGNon To THE BADGER FOUR WHEEL DRIVE' Auro confirm, or cLINroNvILLE, WISCONSIN.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912;

Appucatiqn mea Augst 1969.l serial No. 511,657i

To all whom t mag/,concemf Be it known that I, O'rro ZAcHoW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clintonville, in the county of Waupaca and State of AWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel Construction for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates' to new andF useful improvements in universal joints and wheel bearings therefor and more particularly to that class'adapted to be used in connection withmotor propelled vehicles, such as automobiles or the rlike and my object is to provide means whereby the front axle ofthe vehicle may be driven and the spindle thereof permitted to swing to'gui'de the vehicle.

A further object is to provide means for mounting a wheel on the spindle and a still further object is to providemeans for causing the wheel to rotate with the spindle under ordinaryconditions; but to have relative movement therewith in case of excessive shock on the Wheel.

A further object is to combine with the characteristics named, those of durability, compactness, self protection of the working parts from dust and mud, and withal, of symmetrical and pleasing contour.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, Figure l is a longitudinal, central sectional view through the bearings and wheel at one end of the axle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view as seen on line 2 2,

Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of one` portion of the bearing showing the?l manner of attaching a bearing plate,'thereto.`

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate correspond- 'ing parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates an axle and 2 a' spindle, the meeting ends of the axle and spindle being provided with yokes 3 and 4, respectively at Ythe ends of which yokes are provided trunnions 5 and 6, respectively, said trunnions entering bearings 7 and 8, respectively of a two piece ring -9, the meeting endsof the sections'of the ring having ears 10 thereon. through 'which extend bolts 11. By constructing the axle and spindle in this manner and .pro-

vidin'g the two section ring, the yokes and parts to which they are attached may be forged in one solid piece, thereby strengthening these parts.V

Surrounding the axle 1, is a sleeve 12, at the outer end of which is formed a semiglobular housing 13, which housing fits over the universal joint formed by the yokes and ring.` Surrounding the open end4 of the housing 13- is a cup shaped thimble 14, the inner end of which extends a distance beyond the universal Vjoint construction within the housing 13'and isprovided with a circumferential ange 15, which engages a similar flange l'carried by-a collar'1`7 which collar ts over the sleeve 12 and a portion of the housing 13, the inner edge of the collar having a wedge shaped projection 18, which fills the space between vthe end of the thimble 14 and the curved surface of the housing 13.

The thimble 14 is secured to the collar 17 by introducing a plurality of belts 19 through the abutting flanges 1ro-and 16 and in view of the curved inner surfaces of the thimble land collar, a close communication is formed between these parts and the semi globular housing 13. At the same time this novel construction provides means whereby said housing may turn within the thimble. The spindle 2 projects through a band 2O projecting outwardly from the outer end of the thimble 14 and engages a disk. 21, that portion of the spindle entering the disk being preferably square in cross section and the opening in said disk conforming in outline thereto, whereby said disk will be rotated with the spindle. The peripheral 'edge of the disk 21 engages the interior surface of the end of the wheel hub 22, the frictional engagement of the disk causing' the wheel hub to rotate and in order to provide suitable bearing for the hub, bearing rings 23 and 24 are placed adjacent the opposite ends of the hub, while similar bearing. rings 25 and 26 are positioned adjacent the, 'ends of the cup shaped thimble 14, said rings having recesses therein to form races ing'jballs. T e ring 25 is-held in its adjusted position on the band 20 in any preferred manner as by means of a locking plate 30 and a locking nut 31, thereby holding said ring against rotation. The extreme outer end of the spindle 2 projects throughV the disk-21 andis engaged by a nut 32,

which holds the disk on the spindle, the hub of the, disk restin against a Ycircumferential flan e 33 at t e inner end of the squared portion 34 of the spindle. The outer end of the wheel hub 22 and bearings contained therein are protected from dirt, etc., by means of a cap 35, which fits over the outer end of the hub 22 and engages threads 36 on the periphery thereof and said cap also serves to' prevent the nut 32 from leaving the end of the spindle. The opposite end of the wheel hub 22 extends a distance over the flanges 15 and 16 and asA said hub fits comparatively close` to the periphery of the flanges, dlrt, etc., is prevented from entering at that point. The hub 22 is provided around its periphery with a plurality'of spoke sockets 37.

In order to permit the spindle 2 to swing forwardly or rearwardly in a horizontal plane to properly guide the vehicle, the collar 17 is provided with an oblong opening 38, through which the sleeve l12 extends and immediately above and below said opening are ledges 39 and 40, respectively, said ledges forming a bearing surface forwear plates 41 and 42, respectively, which are at'- tached to a square shoulder 43 on the 'sleeve 12 in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 44, the wear plates 41 and 42 being preferably curved as are also the ledges 39 and 40, the curvature of these parts corresponding to the circle described by the swinging parts. 'Immediately below and attached to the ledge 40 and collar 17 is an Loeaoea eye 45, to which any suitable formof guiding mechanism is to be attached.

It will thus be seen that I have provided' a very cheap and economical form of means for using a portion Aof the driven axle 'for guiding the vehicle and it will likewise be seen that by driving said wheels through the medium of the frictional engagement of the'disk with the hub of the wheel, this friction may be so regulated by any proper means as to sustaina fixed relation between the wheel and disk under ordinary conditions but to allow of relative movement in case the wheel receives excessivel shock which might otherwlse cause a torsion of the axle beyond its elastic limit, and it will also be seen that by forging the yokes of the universal joints, with the parts vto which they are attached, said parts will be extremely strong and durable and less expensive toA manufacture.

What -I claim is:

Inv a vehicle Wheel, the combination of a hub member comprising a cylindrical p0rtion and series of spoke sockets, a disk having a peripheralfriction surface seated within the cylindrical portion of the hub and having a central' rectangular opening therethrough, an axle and a spindle connected by a universal joint, the spindle having a rectangular portion tted into the opening of the disk, a thimble having a semi-globular` portion surrounding the universal joint and having the hub rotatably mounted thereon and having a radially extending flange, a member comprising a sleeve which surrounds the shaft and a semi-globular shell interposing the universal joint and the thimble and movably fitted into the latter, and an annular member comprising a collar having a concaved surface fitted to the semi-globular inner member and having a radial flange secured to the flange on the thimble.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specication in t-he presence of two subscribing witnesses.

orro vzAcHow.

Witnesses:

C. A. NEALE, H. J. JAcoBL 

